CHAPTER8

itwascoldinthenightandrobertjordansleptheavily.oncehewokeand,stretching,realizedthatthegirlwasthere,curledfardownintherobe,breathinglightlyandregularly,andinthedark,bringinghisheadinfromthecold,theskyhardandsharpwithstars,theaircoldinhisnostrils,heputhisheadunderthewarmthoftherobeandkissedhersmoothshoulder.shedidnotwakeandherolledontohissideawayfromherandwithhisheadoutoftherobeinthecoldagain,layawakeamomentfeelingthelong,seepingluxuryofhisfatigueandthenthesmoothtactilehappinessoftheirtwobodiestouchingandthen,ashepushedhislegsoutdeepastheywouldgointherobe,heslippeddownsteeplyintosleep.

hewokeatfirstdaylightandthegirlwasgone.heknewitashewokeand,puttingouthisarm,hefelttherobewarmwhereshehadbeen.helookedatthemouthofthecavewheretheblanketshowedfrost-rimmedandsawthethingraysmokefromthecrackintherocksthatmeantthekitchenfirewaslighted.

amancameoutofthetimber,ablanketwornoverhisheadlikeaponchorobertjordansawitwaspabloandthathewassmokingacigarette.he’sbeendowncorrallingthehorses,hethought.

pablopulledopentheblanketandwentintothecavewithoutlookingtowardrobertjordan.

robertjordanfeltwithhishandthelightfrostthatlayontheworn,spottedgreenballoonsilkoutercoveringofthefive-year-olddownrobe,thensettledintoitagain.bueno,hesaidtohimself,feelingthefamiliarcaressoftheflannelliningashespreadhislegswide,thendrewthemtogetherandthenturnedonhissidesothathisheadwouldbeawayfromthedirectionwhereheknewthesunwouldcome.quémásda,imightaswellsleepsomemore.

hesleptuntilthesoundofairplanemotorswokehim.

lyingonhisback,hesawthem,afascistpatrolofthreefiats,tiny,bright,fastmovingacrossthemountainsky,headedinthedirectionfromwhichanselmoandhehadcomeyesterday.thethreepassedandthencameninemore,flyingmuchhigherintheminute,pointedformationsofthrees,threesandthrees.

pabloandthegypsywerestandingatthecavemouth,intheshadow,watchingtheskyandasrobertjordanlaystill,theskynowfullofthehighhammeringroarofmotors,therewasanewdroningroarandthreemoreplanescameoveratlessthanathousandfeetabovetheclearing.thesethreewereheinkelone-elevens,twin-motorbombers.

robertjordan,hisheadintheshadowoftherocks,knewtheywouldnotseehim,andthatitdidnotmatteriftheydid.heknewtheycouldpossiblyseethehorsesinthecorraliftheywerelookingforanythinginthesemountains.iftheywerenotlookingforanythingtheymightstillseethembutwouldnaturallytakethemforsomeoftheirowncavalrymounts.thencameanewandlouderdroningroarandthreemoreheinkelone-elevensshowedcomingsteeply,stiffly,loweryet,crossinginrigidformation,theirpoundingroarapproachingincrescendotoanabsoluteofnoiseandthenrecedingastheypassedtheclearing.

robertjordanunrolledthebundleofclothingthatmadehispillowandpulledonhisshirt.itwasoverhisheadandhewaspullingitdownwhenheheardthenextplanescomingandhepulledhistrousersonundertherobeandlaystillasthreemoreoftheheinkelbi—motorbomberscameover.beforetheyweregoneovertheshoulderofthemountain,hehadbuckledonhispistol,rolledtherobeandplaceditagainsttherocksandsatnow,closeagainsttherocks,tyinghisrope-soledshoeswhentheapproachingdroningturnedtoagreaterclatteringroarthaneverbeforeandninemoreheinkellightbomberscameinechelons;hammeringtheskyapartastheywentover.

robertjordanslippedalongtherockstothemouthofthecavewhereoneofthebrothers,pablo,thegypsy,anselmo,agustinandthewomanstoodinthemouthlookingout.

“havetherebeenplaneslikethisbefore?”heasked.

“never,”saidpablo.“getin.theywillseethee.”thesunhadnotyethitthemouthofthecave.itwasjustnowshiningonthemeadowbythestreamandrobertjordanknewtheycouldnotbeseeninthedark,earlymorningshadowofthetreesandthesolidshadetherocksmade,buthewentinthecaveinordernottomakethemnervous.

“theyaremany,”thewomansaid.

“andtherewillbemore,”robertjordansaid.

“howdoyouknow?”pabloaskedsuspiciously.

“those,justnow,willhavepursuitplaneswiththem.”

justthentheyheardthem,thehigher,whiningdrone,andastheypassedataboutfivethousandfeet,robertjordancountedfifteenfiatsinechelonofechelonslikeawild-gooseflightofthev-shapedthrees.

inthecaveentrancetheirfacesalllookedverysoberandrobertjordansaid,“youhavenotseenthismanyplanes?”

“never,”saidpablo.

“therearenotmanyatsegovia?”

“neverhastherebeen,wehaveseenthreeusually.sometimessixofthechasers.perhapsthreejunkers,thebigoneswiththethreemotors,withthechaserswiththem.neverhaveweseenplaneslikethis.”

itisbad,robertjordanthought.thisisreallybad.hereisaconcentrationofplaneswhichmeanssomethingverybad.imustlistenforthemtounload.butno,theycannothavebroughtupthetroopsyetfortheattack.certainlynotbeforetonightortomorrownight,certainlynotyet.certainlytheywillnotbemovinganythingatthishour.

hecouldstillheartherecedingdrone.helookedathiswatch.bynowtheyshouldbeoverthelines,thefirstonesanyway.hepushedtheknobthatsetthesecondhandtoclickingandwatcheditmovearound.no,perhapsnotyet.bynow.yes.welloverbynow.twohundredandfiftymilesanhourforthoseone-elevensanyway.fiveminuteswouldcarrythemthere.bynowthey’rewellbeyondthepasswithcastileallyellowandtawnybeneaththemnowinthemorning,theyellowcrossedbywhiteroadsandspottedwiththesmallvillagesandtheshadowsoftheheinkelsmovingoverthelandastheshadowsofsharkspassoverasandyflooroftheocean.

therewasnobump,bump,bumpingthudofbombs.hiswatchtickedon.

they’regoingontocolmenar,toescorial,ortotheflyingfieldatmanzanareselreal,hethought,withtheoldcastleabovethelakewiththeducksinthereedsandthefakeairfieldjustbehindtherealfieldwiththedummyplanes,notquitehidden,theirpropsturninginthewind.that’swheretheymustbeheaded.theycan’tknowabouttheattack,hetoldhimselfandsomethinginhimsaid,whycan’tthey?they’veknownaboutalltheothers.

“doyouthinktheysawthehorses?”pabloasked.

“thoseweren’tlookingforhorses,”robertjordansaid.

“butdidtheyseethem?”

“notunlesstheywereaskedtolookforthem.”

“couldtheyseethem?”

“probablynot,”robertjordansaid.“unlessthesunwereonthetrees.”

“itisonthemveryearly,”pablosaidmiserably.

“ithinktheyhaveotherthingstothinkofbesidesthyhorses,”robertjordansaid.

itwaseightminutessincehehadpushedtheleveronthestopwatchandtherewasstillnosoundofbombing.

“whatdoyoudowiththewatch?”thewomanasked.

“ilistenwheretheyhavegone.”

“oh,”shesaid.attenminuteshestoppedlookingatthewatchknowingitwouldbetoofarawaytohear,now,evenallowingaminuteforthesoundtotravel,andsaidtoanselmo,“iwouldspeaktothee.”

anselmocameoutofthecavemouthandtheywalkedalittlewayfromtheentranceandstoodbesideapinetree.

“quétal?”robertjordanaskedhim.“howgoesit?”

“allright.”

“hastthoueaten?”

“no.noonehaseaten.”

“eatthenandtakesomethingtoeatatmid-day.iwantyoutogotowatchtheroad.makeanoteofeverythingthatpassesbothupanddowntheroad.”

“idonotwrite.”

“thereisnoneedto,”robertjordantookouttwoleavesfromhisnotebookandwithhisknifecutaninchfromtheendofhispencil.“takethisandmakeamarkfortanksthus,”hedrewaslantedtank,“andthenamarkforeachoneandwhentherearefour,crossthefourstrokesforthefifth.”

“inthiswaywecountalso.”

“good.makeanothermark,twowheelsandabox,fortrucks.iftheyareemptymakeacircle.iftheyarefulloftroopsmakeastraightmark.markforguns.bigones,thus.smallones,thus.markforcars.markforambulances.thus,twowheelsandaboxwithacrossonit.markfortroopsonfootbycompanies,likethis,see?alittlesquareandthenmarkbesideit.markforcavalry,likethis,yousee?likeahorse.aboxwithfourlegs.thatisatroopoftwentyhorse.youunderstand?eachtroopamark.”

“yes.itisingenious.”

“now,”hedrewtwolargewheelswithcirclesaroundthemandashortlineforagunbarrel.“theseareanti-tanks.theyhaverubbertires.markforthem.theseareanti-aircraft,”twowheelswiththegunbarrelslantedup.“markforthemalso.doyouunderstand?haveyouseensuchguns?”